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Ask HN: Why isn't the NSA categorized as an APT?

5 points by TheOpenSourcer ↗ HN
Israel Unit-8200 is an APT Iran has like 4 APT's under its army Why isn't the NSA categorized as an APT?

APT definition: APTs are state-run, organized, and stealthy. The NSA fits this definition.

Can someone explain this? Is it only politics?

8 comments

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mhb
WTF is an APT?
[dead] cochinescu
[flagged]
rithdmc
That and the big question over, if they do detect a domestic agency's APT, will they even report it? Warning: Top Secret / NoForn leaks below.

Allegedly, - McAfee reached out to the FBI about Magic Lantern, - Kaspersky were believed by the NSA to not detect Russian-affiliated malware, - and I can't find any sources for this, but I remember reading about and having chats earlier in my career with folks in AV companies mulling over what to do in this situation.

tim-tday
Remember the Snowden leaks? They are.
rl1987
Because it's not wrong when "we" (i.e. those naming who counts as APT) are doing it.
sloaken
It is perspective. From the Iranian stance, NSA is an APT and theirs is not. Likewise the UK version, Russian versions etc.

Them / Us.